Learning at Harvard
by MyNameIsNoOnesBuisness
Summary: Learning to love Elle Woods was gradual... This is how it happened to Emmett. Rating for language.
1. Chapter 1

**So I became _obsessed_ with this musical and I know that I haven't been updating D.C. very often. But every time I sit down to write that one this comes into my head. So...  
HERE WE GO! This has about 20 written but not typed chapters to it. So updates should be whenever I can get access to internet in my (practically nonexistent) free time.**

 **Some/most are really short. Some are pretty long. Mostly from Emmett's POV.**

 **Not mine. I wish it was. But its not. *sigh**

* * *

 **Meetings**

They were just like all the rest of them… Full of themselves, over confident, over achievers.

And then she came in with that stupid fatigue chic, and her stupid snaps, and her stupid "tangerine is NOT the new pink" line and directions to his class. He laughed to himself. _She cannot be serious,_ h _e_ thought to himself.

"In don't think dogs are allowed in class."

"Brusier's not a dog, he's family." She came back.

 _What?_

Then the next thought that made sense to him was not something he was prepared to entertain. S _he is so pretty. No, not pretty; she is beautiful_.

So he gave her directions and saw her pull out that stupid fuzzy pen and watched her get kicked out of class, something that shouldn't have bothered him. Yet, for something he shouldn't mind, he was conflicted. He felt sorry for her. But she had fought back.

"Who assigns reading for the first day of class?" She had asked.

Emmet had to admit, that took balls. They were probably pink, knowing what he had seen so far. She was different, Little Miss Woods Comma Elle and he couldn't start thinking about her. But… she had her eyes on another classmate. And, like every pretty girl, definitely NOT interested in him. But he couldn't stop thinking about her.

As he looked around the class he saw that all the other students, particularly the one that had recommended that Callahan kick her out, showed no hint of concern or feeling sorry for her at all. As he closed the door he looked at her sadly, seeing her looking defeated and horrified. But for some reason it wasn't about her law career….

 _Warner?_ God she was crazy.

And then there was that comment about law books not being picture books. And the look Woods-Comma-Elle gave her was one of the most terrifying things that he had ever seen. And he worked for CALLAHAN! So he ran.

Callahan was sitting in his office. "So, Emmett. How long do you give that blonde?"

"What do you mean?" He asked confused.

"I give her until fall break. Just be glad you have me to give you this job otherwise you'd be going back to that trailer. Now get me a coffee. Splenda and skim."

He sighed that night as he closed the lid of his old, beat up, creaking computer.

 _This is going to be a long year…_


	2. Chapter 2

**What's Up, Doc?**

Emmett was having an awful day. Callahan was more of a jackass then normal, he wasn't going to have enough to pay his rent, and his roommate was moving out (hence the rent problem). He decided to go for a walk in, thinking the cool night air would help him when he heard soft crying from a Harvard bench. _Misery loves company_ , he thought. It was the blonde he couldn't stop thinking about, when he wasn't thinking about everything else. Only her eyes were red, her smile gone, and her mascara running down her cheeks. He saw her shoulders shiver and noticed what she was wearing. That bunny costume… what guy WOULDN'T notice the bunny costume. He couldn't help himself.

"Elle? What's up... doc?" She looked unamused, yet somehow it was still cute and he laughed at himself.

Then he heard the strangest reason to come to Harvard ever. LOVE. Like it was some Lifetime Original movie. It was just too sad. He had to help her. And when he told her why HE was at Harvard she seemed even more shocked. Then a thought hit him. Maybe all her privileges she had growing up actually hurt her more than it helped.

"Would you like me to tutor you?" He asked before he even thought about what he was saying.

"You would do that? For me?"

"Sure." He laughed.

"I'll pay you." She promised.

"Well… We'll work all that out later." He sighed. "And yes, I'll help you." He laughed. "I guess I just have a thing for the underdog."

"Thank you." She sad seriously. She threw herself at him, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck.

Emmett hadn't been hugged much by someone that wasn't his family. And he didn't realize how much he would like it. The hug was… nice. Really nice. Maybe Little Miss Woods Comma Elle wasn't so bad. Maybe he would make a decent friend since forever.

And then he saw her room.

* * *

 **Did anyone else get the double "tale" joke?**

 **"I'm sorry for not weeping at your _tale_ " (tale/tail)?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello, Kitty!**

Pink. Pink everywhere. He couldn't help it, it just came out: "Hello… kitty."

She didn't mind. She didn't even seem to notice. Then he saw the shelf of Red Bull. How a girl like him needed energy, well that was beyond him. It wasn't for studying, he was sure of that. Her book for Callahan's class wasn't ever unwrapped. But she kept going, she kept fighting. Even when he threw all of her things out, she still laughed and smiled.

But soon he grew fond, even had a new appreciation for the color pink. The desk stayed a desk, now covered in different shades of pink Post-It notes. And by the time thanksgiving came along, he also had a strong liking, he would even go so far as to say a love for the bunny's favorite energy drink.

"Grandma Bootsie?" He laughed as Elle closed the door to her room.

"I know right!" She giggled. Emmett saw that she had good mind. It was a bit one tracked, he admitted to himself, but it was very sharp.

"You're going home for Thanksgiving?" He asked, shocked. It didn't take much to get her to stay.

"Why are you always right?" She laughed.

"I'm not always right." He defended before adding cheekily. "With you I just am."

"Elle gasped and through a stuffed toy at him from out of her dog's bag. Bruiser ran after it before Emmitt through it back at her. She laughed and through one of her many pillows at him. And with that, he had his first pillow fight. They fell to her bed, studies forgotten for a few minutes. Elle took his hand when he told her it was his first pillow fight. Elle took his hand, squeezed it and said quietly: "Stick with me, Emmett. I'll teach you a thing or two."

Then Christmas came around.

"Ho! Ho! ho…" He said when as he enterd the now familiar room. She was with another woman, dancing and twirling around. He didn't understand why her hair care was such a big deal. But he was thrilled that she liked it. And the Warner came into her room and asked about Vivian. And she became that girl that got kicked out of class on that first day. So he pointed it out and she studied like he had never seen before. There night together was almost over and she stopped him from their debate about the rights of anonymous sperm donors. She handed him a box wrapped in paper with cute reindeer on it. He gingerly undid the paper, determined to save it. Inside was a dark green, soft sweater. It had to be the nicest thing that he now owned.

"It's forest green." She smiled. "To replace the sweatshirt you gave me. I don't want to give that back. It's too comfortable."

"Thank you Elle. I do still want that sweatshirt back." He chuckled. He usually got small things for Christmas. But he never owned something this nice.

"If it gets dirty, bring it to me. I'll clean it." She said fiercely. "I mean it."

"Okay!" He said softly, fingering the ribbed border of the sweater.

"Are you busy for New Years?" She asked.

"No, no I'm not." He replied.

"Do you want to spend it with me and my friend Paulette?"

"Sure!" He responded eagerly. "Who's Paulette?"

"The woman helping me studying when you came in."

"Oh. Sure! That sounds nice."

"Great!"

The two of them settled into comfortable silence before returning to their argument. Elle was going to prove everyone wrong.

And Emmett was proud to help her do just that.


	4. Chapter 4

**First Tests**

All their hard work had paid off. She aced it. In a way that even Emmett hadn't thought of. Reckless abandonment… _woah_. And Callahan was impressed too. If he wasn't such a good lawyer, Emmett was sure that his jaw would be on the floor. They had this very debate when she had given him that wonderful sweater. She just got this sly smile on her face and said to him "I know how to win."

And he couldn't pry it out of her.

By the look on her face, he could see the happy shock on her face and realized that this was a test for him too. She wanted to see if she was right without having the safety net of it being practice. And Emmett had passed too. He let her take the jump she needed. And she landed like the cute bunny she was.

He saw something click with his boss too. Callahan was starting to see what Emmett saw: a smart young woman who was just a little slow off the starting block. Emmett Saw the pride in Elle's face, a seed planted, ready to bloom into a (to quote Elle) _'lawerly lawyer'_.

And then Callahan did something unexpected: he asked her to apply for the internship.

And she was brilliant.


	5. Chapter 5

**Scented**

"Dear God, its SCENTED!" Callahan exclaimed.

 _Of course it is._ Emmett thought to himself. _It's Elle_.

And Callahan made of point of asking him to file it, which meant that he was seriously going to consider Elle for the internship. Elle was going to get what she wanted and he had helped her get it. He smiled as he smelled the paper sighed. _It smells like her_. He thought to himself. And not just her perfume. It smelled like Elle herself. He could smell Brusier, and her shampoo, and her lotion, and the scent of nail polish, and her detergent for her clothes all mixed in with the scent of her perfume. He watched her gloat as she passed Warner and Vivian and sighed again.

 _Well done, Little Miss Woods Comma Elle. Well done._

At four thirty, his phone ring sharply.

"Hello?"

"EMMETT!" Elle cried. "Are you okay!" She sounded panicked.

"I'm fine." He heard her sigh in relief.

"Then why aren't you here helping me study?" She sounded sad.

"You did great today, I though you deserved the night off."

"But I have other classes too!" She squeaked in terror.

"Okay!" He gave in. "Let me pay my landlord and then I'll come over."

"I paid your rent, Emmet." Elle whispered.

"WHAT!" he gasped.

"Well you told me that your rent would be too much and that you pay every six months. So a few days ago, when you left your jacket here so while I was there returning it I paid your rent. As payment for tutoring me." There was silence. "Did I do something wrong?" She whispered.

"No," he replied breathlessly. "No, Elle, you did not. Thank you."

"So you'll keep helping me study?"

"Yes and no. I'll come over and take you to dinner. No studying tonight. Its Friday and you had one hell of a win today."

"Okay Mr. Chip On Your Shoulder." She laughed.

"I'll be there in 15. Don't dress up, Little Miss Woods Comma Elle."

He got to her dorm room and she opened the door, wearing tight blue jeans, a white shirt, and brown boots. The thing that shocked him was that she had on only one pink item: her coat.

"Whats up, doc?"

"Food!" She said happily, walking across the hall to knock on her neighbor's door.

"Hey, Elle!" A woman opened the door.

"Hey Maggie! Can you watch Bruiser for me for a little while?" She asked. Maggie looked Emmet up and down before nodding.

"Have _lots_ of fun tonight Elle!"

Emmett took Elle to get her burger, along with fries and a milkshake.

And he enjoyed her sent.


	6. Chapter 6

**Dogs…**

There were lots of things that Emmett didn't understand about Elle Woods. But the thing that made the least sense was that damn dog! Brusier was her family. She talked to him more than anyone else it seemed, besides him. She didn't talk to her parents very often, and although she talked to her Delta Nu sisters at LEAST twice a week, she seemed lonely to him. She lived most of her life having her best friend and closest family member be a Chihuahua.

And then he met Paulette. She was just as obsessed with her dog as Elle was. Emmet remembered one night when he looked over from commenting tests that Callahan had graded (Elle had the highest score), to see her asleep on her laptop keyboard. He picked her up and went over to the bed to have Bruiser jump up before him and pull the corner of the blankets down. He set Ell on her pillow and was about to pull the blanket up when he heard bruiser whine.

"What?" He asked to the dog sarcastically. Bruiser just licked Elle's ankles. "Oh!" Emmett shook his head, realizing he had left Elle's shoes on. "Anything else, pooch?"

Bruised moved up to her lap and sat on her belt. Emmett's throat closed a little bit, but he managed to take the large belt off without waking her up. "What's next?" Bruiser licked her wrist and Emmett took off the bracelet, earrings, and jewelry. "Anything else?" Brusier jumped off the bed and sat on top of her sweat pants. "Nope! Not doing that." He told the dog. Bruiser growled at him. "No! It wouldn't be right!" He got down and patted the little guy's head. "I won't have Elle think that about me." Bruiser licked his hand and barked. Emmett rubbed his neck and sighed. "Okay. But if I get in trouble I'm blaming you." He warned. _I am talking to a dog… wow._ He laughed at himself as he picked up the pink sweats. His hands shook as he took off Elle's pants and he quickly and with as little gawking at her legs as he could manage, got her sweats on. "That's it, Bruiser. That's all I'm doing." He backed off the bed. He noticed that Elle was wearing a cardigan, and he figured that had to be uncomfortable, so he slid it off her as gently as he could and folded it across the back of her chair.

But when he went to leave the room, Bruiser wouldn't let him go. He bit into the ankle of his jeans and wouldn't let go. So instead of waking Elle up, he pulled a couple blankets out of the closet and took a pillow off the bed, placing them on the floor. He toed off his sneakers and flannel and went to sleep.

He woke up to the smell of Red Bull and. Elle Helped him off the floor and sat him on her bed.

"Your dog wouldn't let me leave last night." He muttered sleepily, taking the first sip of the miracle drink that Elle had introduced to him.

"Sorry. Bruiser doesn't let anyone leave until I wake up. My sisters taught him that.

"Smart pooch." He muttered as said dog jumped into his lap. He scratched Bruiser's ear and was rewarded by a kiss on the nose.

"I got some closes from your apartment. I hope you like what I brought." Elle pointed to the bag by her closet.

"What time is it?" Emmet wondered aloud.

"10:30 on a Saturday morning." Elle smiled. "I thought you needed your sleep. And I need you help with something."

"What is it?" He could feel the Red Bull kicking in.

"Paulette wants her dog back. And I was going to help her. And Paulette asked if she needed a lawyer so I said I would ask you. You will help right?"

"Does she really want her dog back that badly?" He asked, looking over to see her nodding violently. "Then I'll help."

Man, what was it with women and their dogs?


	7. Chapter 7

**Feeling High**

It amazed Emmett that for how smart Elle was, she could also be so naïve. She thought her classmates were at Harvard for others. She thought that they studied to help the underdog. He laughed softly to himself. _No that was reserved for the two of us_. He saw the connection she had to her dog, and the kindness she showed everyone. HE saw her love for her friends and now her saw her love of law. And he helped her find that. And know that made  him feel kind of high too.

But it wasn't her love of law that made him feel high. It was her. Little Miss Woods Comma Elle made him feel high. In a way no one had ever made him feel before.

He wondered why…

He talked to his ma about it that night. And she told him a four letter word that scared him: **LOVE**. His mom told him he **LOVED** her.

 **LOVE**.

It scared him but it felt right for some reason. He **loved** Elle Woods.

 _When did_ _that_ _happen?_


	8. Chapter 8

**So Much Better**

 _She is so sad…_ Emmett thought. Warner was more of an ass than he had thought, proposing to Vivian right in front of Elle. And Emmett watched Elle's heart break. He sighed and looked disheartened at the list to see who else he would have to supervise.

Vivian Kensington

Edin Hoops

Warner Hunington III

Elle Woods

Report at 9 A.M. to-

 _WAIT! Elle's name!_ HE smield and turned to see Elle about to cry. He tapped her on the shoulder.

"What?" She turned and asked sadly. He pointed to her name and watched her go from sad to happy ot ecstatic. His heart raced for her. He was so proud of her.

And then he was jealous.

Jealous and angry.

She was comparing it to all the things that she and Warner did together. But it was better than all of them.

 _So why am I jealous?_

Probably because he would never have the chance to do any of those things with her. Not hot tub. No kiss. No making love. _No love what so ever_. He sighed. Just study and dinner and school and friendship. Elle was his best friend, his only friend that he still really hung out with, really. _So just to see her happy is enough_ , he supposed.

Maybe she would realize that there was so much better than Warner Huntington III out there. And she deserved so much better.

He just hoped that could be him.


	9. Chapter 9

**Ratty Corduroy**

"Why do you always have to be right?" HE whined as he got pulled into her car.

"I'm not. With you I just am." She retorted.

They parked in a structure downtown and she pulled him down the stairs. And then she said "books with tattered covers don't come off of the shelves"…

Sure everything he owned was second hand, if it didn't say _'Harvard'_ on it or if it was the amazing sweater Elle gave him. He just never felt the point of wasting time on clothes. They didn't make the man, hard work did. And who would he dress for? He had no girlfriend and his ma didn't care. But here he was, in Elle's hands. Going to get primped up by the fashionista. This is what she did before, right? Shop. So he was safe… he hoped.

"What's that smell?" He asked her, a chemical odor hitting his nose.

"LOVE!" A saleswoman said enthusiastically.

"Excuse me!" _How does she know?_ He worried to himself.

"LOVE! The new fragrance from Chanel." She went to spray some. He quickly declined.

Next he was greeted by the familiar sight of men's clothing. Elle had a tie and was already neatly making a knot by his neck. He felt his pulse race, having her this close to him. But he trusted her as she ran off to one of the salesclerks. He straightened the knot, for a lack of nothing else to do.

"Why can I never say no to her?" HE wondered out loud.

"Subtext. By Calvin Klein." The woman handed him a slip of paper with the scent on it.

Elle pulled him over to where she was before and showed him some shirts. There was one he liked. It was a plain, non-assuming white shirt that suited him nicely. She shuffled him into a place to change.

"Don't watch me change!" He said panicked, as she ran around talking to the sales associates. He reexamined the clothes and realized just how nice they were. But he also realized the price was way too much for him to pay. But Elle declared that she would be buying this for him. He held his breath as he stepped out of the small room to Elle, and saw a new person. He saw a smart, professional, successful lawyer.

"I look like Warner." He realized.

"Yeah." Elle agreed.

"But it's just me." He reminded her, loosening his tie and undoing the jacket. _It's just little old me._ He reminded himself.

"That's the best part." She stated. "The outside is new. Now it reflects what's already in you. Couldn't change that if I wanted to. Which I do not."

She declared it payment for seeing her brain instead of her blonde. So he guessed it was her way of saying she saw passed the second hand ratty corduroy to a powerful lawyer.

And she declared him hot.

Which he liked a lot.

He wouldn't have chosen to dress like this. But she was right, just like always. Casual Friday was _not_ in Callahan's vocabulary. This is who he wanted to be. It was who he was  supposed to be. And he liked it. And Elle liked it. And he liked that Elle liked it.

On the way out he saw that the rack with the ties were sorted by color with a large range of pink ones. Elle passed up her favorite color to get him something he would feel comfortable in. HE made a note to return there to get a pink one just for Elle, eventually. He would take it like a man.

The next day at the trial everyone stared at him, even Callahan.

"I didn't recognize you!" He had said.

"Elle took me shopping."

 _And now I owe her some of my pride._ He smiled. He would have to find a way to thank her.


	10. Chapter 10

**The Bend and Snap**

Elle marched into the room and commanded the attention of the group. She dropped her folder on the floor and then, for some reason, Emmett's brain went fuzzy.

"See?" She exclaimed. Emmett still had no idea what she just did, but he did notice that every man in the room was looking at her, including his boss. "Nicos couldn't have had an affair with Brooke. I just did the Bend and Snap and nothing. Clearly he's gay." She explained and Emmett's eyes went wide. If she was right about this, then they just destroyed the motive of the prosecution.

"Elle, you can't base a defense on the bend and snap." He heard Warner sigh. His full attention was still on Elle. Whatever the bend and snap was, he liked it.

 _The bend and snap…_ Emmett thought. _I like it._

But Callahan wasn't completely sold either way. Which was a problem, as he was the lead for the defense. She was trying so hard to sell her point that Emmett took a closer look at Nicos.

"Look at his coiffed and crispy locks!" Emmet tried to help Elle. No man that he knew had hair that nice. No person besides Elle had hair that nice. Emmett was sold.

But now there was a debate going on if Nicos was gay or European. At one point the group turned to Warner, who was slightly offended by the suggestion. While the group was debating, Emmett turned to Elle. "Are you absolutely sure about this, Elle?"

"I am sure. I am one hundred percent positive."

"I'm serious."

"So am I. As serious as this trial. As serious as my hair. As serious as our friendship!"

"Do you have any other proof?"

"No. But I'm so sure about it. I know I'm right."

They looked over to see him flirting with the bailiff. _Elle is right!_ He tried to cover it up with kissing the hand of the stenographer, but it was too late, Emmett knew Elle was spot on. If he resisted Elle's bend and snap he would have to be gay.

So he took a shot in the dark, and he hit a bulls-eye. Elle was right and now, in Callahan's office, he was being given all the credit. But it wasn't his credit to take so he shared it with the woman he know deserved it the most: Elle.

She was perfect. And at this point, he only wanted to tell her he loved her. So he planned to do just that. He went to her dorm room and waited, confident that he could tell her that he had loved her since Christmas, probably even longer. And even if she said she didn't love him like he loved her he would be okay. He would have told her.

She would know he loved he loved her, and he always would.


	11. Chapter 11

**Legally Blonde**

"There she is! Intern of the year!" He said happily.

"Thanks for your help and for all you done."

At first he thought it was a standard thank you. But then he saw tears and his heart sank.

"Thank you for treating me decently." She managed to get out.

"Elle, what's wrong?" HE moved to hold her, but she backed away before coming closer and fiddling with his tie.

"Maybe someday you can visit me. Give me a call. Say hello." She moved to enter her room, but Emmet couldn't let her go like this.

"Wait, where are you going?" He wanted to make sure that he understood what he thought she was saying to him.

"Sorry I'm letting down everyone." She cried.

"What brought on this?" He hoped he could make her feel better. _If Warner did this, I'll kill him,_ He thought angrily.

"You did your best with a hopeless case."

"That's ludicrous!" He was trying to reassure her. Someone had torn her down and stripped all her confidence away. She deserved to be here. She needed to be here. For herself, if not for him.

"You are the best thing about this place." They said at the same time.

 _This is my last chance_ , he thought to himself. "Elle, you should know-"

Elle knew what he was going to say. And she could not let him throw his life away on _legally blonde_ little old her. He deserved someone smarter and better than she was. So she stopped him before she broke his heart. "Calahan hit on me." She stated bluntly.

"He _WHAT_!" Emmet was shocked and furious. _Why would he be… Why would she want to go…_

"He kissed me. He fired me. There's no reason for me to stay." She ran past him into her room, slamming the door firmly behind her.

"What about love?" Emmett asked softly. "I never mentioned love. The timings bad I know. But perhaps… if I made it more clear. That you belong right here you wouldn't have to go!" He spoke through the door, hoping she could hear him. That she would listen to him. "'Cause you'd know that I'm so much in love!" He pleaded through the door, trying to enter her room, finding it locked. She wasn't listening to him. She was still going home. " _Please_ will you open the door? We both know you're worth so much more." She was going home. And it was all Callahan's fault. He was a pompous ass with no morals that had managed to destroy the best thing Emmett ever had.

"If you can hear," Emmett tried once more, speaking to Elle softly through the door, "can I just say how much I want you to stay? I _need_ you to stay."

And then he heard her through the door. _So close… Yet so unreachable_ , he thought.

"It's not up to me. Just let me be… legally blonde." She cried.

 _No! You are so much better._ He sank to the floor and buried his head in his knees. He didn't know how long he had sat there when two pairs of shoes stopped in front of him. He looked up to see who was interested in his dejected and heartbroken mood. "Vivian? Enid?"

"They broke her, didn't they?" Vivian sighed and sat down across from him.

"Jackasses." Enid cursed before leaning against the wall.

"What happened after I left?" Emmett didn't know how these two knew. But maybe they knew more, _cared_ more about Elle then he had thought.

"Callahan kissed her." Vivian said angrily. "Then she slapped him. When Warner and I went back to give Callahan his coffee, Warner called her a _Marilyn._ " She sighed. "I broke up with him."

"Good for you sister." Enid patted Vivian on the shoulder. "And good for Elle."

"She slapped him?" Emmett smiled.

"Really hard. I don't know if Callahan was more shocked that he misjudged Elle's mind or her strength."

"What's a Marilyn?" Emmett hesitated, not know if he really wanted to know the answer.

"It really is so pathetic." Enid rolled her eyes. "Vivian is a _Jackie_ , as in Kennedy. Warner was calling Elle a Marilyn, as in Marilyn Monroe."

"How do we get her to stay? Vivian whispered.

They sat outside Elle's room, only hearing the occasional sob coming out from under Elle's door until Emmett couldn't take it. He jumped up and knocked on her door again. "Elle, please! _PLEASE_ let me in!" The sobs died down. "Buiser, can you let me in?" He called to the dog, whom he had grown to like very much. He heard scratching at the door.

"Please, Emmett. You deserve so much better." He heard her whisper. "Bruiser, bed." The scratching stopped, followed by some whines, then silence. "Good bye, Emmett. Visit me if you're ever in California."

"Elle…" HE put his forehead against the door.

"Emmett!" He heard Enid call him excitedly.

"What?"

"We can get her to stay." Vivian said happily.

"How?"

"Come and look."

He turned and looked at the book the two were pouring over. "We can get her to stay."

"You go to Brooke in the morning. We'll take care of Elle." Vivian said.

"We'll make sure she knows that she deserves this." Enid agreed.

The three hatched their plan and went to work.


	12. Chapter 12

**Licensed**

Vivian texted him on the way to the courthouse. She, Enid, and Elle were on their way. And then she was there, and he could stand up for her. HE could show Callahan what a foolish ass he had been. He could show her that he wanted her to stay.

"I will _gladly_ supervise, your honor." He told the judge.

"Like HELL you will. You work for me." Callahan huffed.

"I work for myself. And _I_ don't have to hit on interns, _professor_." He said bitterly. So Callahan was fired and Elle had taken his place. He handed Elle the case folder with a smile.

"Thank you." She said seriously, putting all the care she would have put into one of her loving hugs into those two words.

"Did you think I would _really_ let you get away?" He whispered into her ear. The look on her face told him all he needed to know: No. Elle didn't think he would let her get away. But that could wait, it didn't have a choice. After the trial, he would tell her how he felt, to her face. He would swoop her up into his arms and for once in his life, he would actually be romantic and have it go off well. And Warner Huntington III wouldn't have a chance. Elle was a Jackie and a Marilyn. And Emmett was going to have her.


	13. Chapter 13

**The End of The Trial**

Elle won. Just like that. Just like Emmett knew she would. He turned and saw Warner and Callahan looking like idiots. She hugged Brooke first, then some others, and then ran into his arms. He picked her up and spun her around once. Emmett was ecstatic.

"Thank you." Elle whispered into his ear.

He put her down and moved to kiss her when he saw _Warner_. _Stalking his prey, I bet_ he thought.

"I'll…" _Will she take him back?_ He wondered. _No. No she won't_. He smiled. "I'll see you later." He said confidently.

He went back to her dorm room, the students already buzzing about the trial a good relief from the stress of finals that were looming in the upcoming weeks. He stopped by her door and waited contently outside. Half an hour later, she walked down the hall. Everyone opened their doors to congratulate her, saying false 'I knew you could do it's.

"Hi." She smiled to him.

"What's up doc?" He teased back as she opened the door.

"I'm not engaged."

"I know." He nodded towards her finger. "No ring. And you don't need Warner anymore. You know what you can be without him."

"Can you help me choose my classes for next year?" She asked suddenly. "Viv and Enid gave me their schedules so if we can fit at least one from each that would be fantastic!" She added happily.

"You're staying." He sighed, collapsing onto the end of her bed, Bruised jumping onto his chest and licking his face before hopping off again."

"Of course, you butthead." She sat next to him pulling him up. "And then will you go to a movie with me? And dinner? As a date?" Elle looked down and blushed. It was obvious to him she had never asked anyone on a date before.

He pulled her into his arms and held her close. "Ohmigod. Yes." He sighed, smiling into her hair. "But don't you wanna go celebrate with Brooke?"

"There's only one person I want to celebrate with. And that's you." She said into his chest. "I love you, Emmett Forest."

"I love you too, Little Miss Woods Comma Elle."


	14. Chapter 14

**First Kiss**

They had been dating for two weeks now. School was finishing up and Emmett was worried. Elle was thinking about something that wasn't her finals. Something BIG that wasn't about her finals. She was coming over to his apartment tonight, so maybe he could get her to tell him then. Just as he was pondering the many options that this big thing could be, there was a light knock on the door. That was Elle's knock: soft yet firm, polite yet demanding. He ran to the door, threw it open and pulled her in by her wrist, starting one of their all-telling hugs (and all while closing the door with his foot. He was impressed).

"Hi." She whispered into his chest.

"What's up, doc?" It had become their thing, to say hello like this. And Emmett liked it.

"Two things. One good, and one…" she trailed off before pulling him to the sofa. "The good thing is that I got an apartment!" She said happily.

"That's fantastic!" He squeezed her hand. Neither of them wanted to be apart for the summer, not when they had just started dating.

"I want you to move in with me." She admitted.

"What?" He thought she would want her own space.

"Well, your lease ends the beginning of June. And that's next month. And since we spend so much time together, I was thinking it would be nice to have our own place. And my apartments lonely, even with Bruiser, so I thought that you would want to come move in with me. My daddy bought it, so you don't have to worry about rent, if that concerns you." She added in at the end hastily.

He thought about it for a few seconds, even though he knew his answer the moment she had asked. "Okay." He smiled. "I'll start packing. Was there something else?" She shrank back into the lumpy couch. "Elle, you know you can tell me anything. Ask me anything. What's going on?" He rubbed her back. She just turned away slightly. "Elle?" He asked again softly.

"Why haven't you kissed me?" She asked sheepishly, the tips of her ears turning red.

 _That wasn't what I was expecting…_ He thought in shock.

"All the other guys I've dated, they've kissed me on the second or third date. Do you not want to kiss me? Do you not want me that way?"

He pulled her into his lap and held her close. "Elle Woods, I want you in every way you'll have me. But it shouldn't surprise you that I don't have the best history when it comes to girls. I've had one girlfriend and she broke up with me after our first kiss. I don't want to ruin what we have by messing up. I'm just not all that good at any of this and you deserve perfection." He kissed the top of her head. That was the closest he had gotten to kissing her properly. She had tried, but they had always gotten interrupted. He loosened his arms and pulled her chin so that their eyes were locked. "Do you understand?" She nodded. "Good."

"So you haven't slept with anybody?" She whispered.

"Nope. I still have my V-Card." He blushed. It wasn't really something he had thought of until now.

Elle twisted in his arms so that she was straddling him and he thought he would explode. He had no idea what to do, how he should act, what he should say… All he knew was the feeling of Elle Woods, hottest woman he had ever seen, was twisting in his lap, sitting in places that women had never sat before, making him feel very strange.

She leaned forwards and pushed her lips against his. Her lips felt perfect, and this kiss was better than anything he had ever felt before. And then, it was over. He opened his eyes to see Elle smiling happily.

"Woah." He croaked out, swallowing his emotions. "That was…" He cleared his throat. "I like kissing."

Her eyes got a strange gleam in them. "Wait until I add tongue" She smirked.

"Wha?"

"I'll teach you. Don't worry. I've taught all my boyfriends, except for the first one… You didn't have to worry. You never have to worry." She cupped his cheek and he sighed. "You could never ruin anything."

"Are you sure?" He asked, hesitantly.

"One hundred percent." She got off his lap and he suddenly felt the urge to grab a pillow. "Let's start getting you packed."

"Can I-"

"Take all the time you need." Elle smiled proudly, looking to his lap.

"That wasn't- I didn't-" he sighed, "Thank you." He said awkwardly. "Before you go though… can I have one more?" He cocked an eyebrow.

"Always." Elle smiled, pulling him to his feet. "You never have to ask."

And that brought Emmet Forest up to three.


	15. Chapter 15

**Divorce**

Fall break, Elle got a call from Emmett asking her to come down to his new office. Instead of joining another firm, he and two of his other TA buddies from Harvard started their own firm. She happily agreed and told him she was on her way. When she entered his office, however, she was surprised to see him with an older woman.

"Elle," he greeted her, "this is Heather. She is looking to be Callahan's ex-wife."

"So this is the type of person my husband is interested in, is it?" She said angrily. "I never stood a chance did I?"

"He… When… During the trial he was… Why would he do that, Emmett? He didn't even wear a ring!" She looked to Heather. "I swear nothing happened between us. All he did was kiss me, and even that was unwanted on my part."

Heather sighed, "I'm glad you're honest. Will you testify against him?" She asked.

Elle looked to Emmett for advice. "Will it affect school?"

"I can't say. Maybe. If the wrong people find out, it'l make your life hard for a while. I'm notifying some of the faculty, as they need to testify to his character. If you want me to tell them about you I will. It'll probably lead to him getting fired." HE rubbed her arms. "This is your choice, Elle. I won't force you to do anything. We have other options if you don't want to."

"So you found the others?" She asked softly.

"Others?" They two asked her, shocked at the question.

"I did some digging. I found that there are two other complaints against Callahan. There weren't names listed in what I found, but they were female. All the complaints were never followed through, but I think they were like me. Or worse." Elle shuddered.

Emmett was struggling to maintain his composure. To think that he had worked for this man. That he _admired_ this man. Who would have probably done worse to Elle if he knew Warner and Vivian weren't coming back to his office. He _hated_ Callahan with a passion. "I'll find them, if you want me to." Emmett told her.

Elle stood there, thinking about her options. Could she really deal with more hell and doubt surrounding her abilities at Harvard? Was it worth it? If she didn't, Elle couldn't help but feel that Callahan had won. That he had gotten away with it. She had Paulette and Kyle and Viv and Enid, she had made a new friend over the summer named David. And she had Emmett. If she had Emmett, she felt like she could do anything.

"Do you promise to stand by me, Emmett?"

"Always. No matter what." He took her hands.

"Then yes. I will testify against Professor Callahan."

The divorce was messy. More than once Emmett came back to the apartment to see that Elle had left him dinner and fallen asleep on the couch with her homework on the coffee table. More than once, Emmett had accidentally snapped at Elle about something, leaving her in tears and him feeling horrible and making Elle breakfast or surprising her for lunch with her favorite salad or flowers. Emmett knew that Callahan's ego wasn't going to let him just sign the papers unless he got everything and left his wife with nothing. There was also the fact that Heather had hired Emmett in the first place. Callahan saw that as a personal vendetta.

But today was the last day of the divorce trial. The judge was grumpy and irritated at Callahan, so Emmett felt very confident that the settlement would go in the favor of Heather. The judge sighed and asked the question that he had been dying to ask the entire time.

"Why are you fighting this divorce?" He sighed,

"I have done nothing wrong, your honor. I-"

"That's not true, your honor." Emmett interrupted. "I am prepared to call three young women, all current students, which Callahan has propositioned for sexual favors. One is present today, and the other two can be called at your convenience." Elle had told him that being polite and courteous to the judge would give him the favor over the snappy, rude, awfulness that was Callahan.

"Bring her in, please." He motioned to Emmett.

Emmett stood and opened the door, waving for Elle to come in. She marched into the courtroom in her navy pencil skirt suit with pink pin-striping and a light pink blouse, head held high, straight to the judge and shook his hand firmly.

"Elle Woods, your honor. I am a second year law student at Harvard. Pleased to meet you." She smiled and moved to the podium.

"Likewise. Woods…" He thought to himself. "Are you the same Woods who won the Wyndham murder trial?"

"Yes, sir."

"With _perm care_?" He clarified.

"Yes, sir."

"Well, congratulations. Now tell me why you are here."

Elle thanked the judge and told her story. Every little detail. It made Emmett sick, just like it always did. But by the time she was done, Callahan looked like a fool. A red, angry, embarrassed fool.

"You BITCH!" He cried. "I _made_ you. You would be lying on a poolside if it weren't for me! Was it wrong for me to ask for something in return! AND YOU!" He turned to Emmett. "I turned you into EVERYTHING you are today and THIS is how you repay me? By defending my bitch wife? HOW _DARE_ YOU! You would still be in that damn trailer if it weren't for me!"

The judge banged the gavel. "That is ENOUGH!" He shouted. "The court finds in favor of Heather Callahan. Miss Woods, pleasure to meet you. Please have a wonderful life. I am sure we will see good things from you."

"Thank you, sir." She said quietly and left.

Emmett returned home, 45 minutes later, after a screaming Callahan had signed the papers. He opened the door and saw a path of candy wrappers to the kitchen. Bruiser ran out of the kitchen with a wrapper in his mouth.

"Elle?" He called, taking the wrapper from the dog's mouth, giving him a quick scratch behind his ears. "Elle?" He called again. He found her sitting on the kitchen floor surrounded by funsize Milky Way wrappers and eating macaroni and cheese. He got a fork out of the drawer and joined her on the floor. He stuck the fork into the bowl _thick and creamy._ He sighed. _That's not good._

"He's wrong, you know." She whispered after the bowl was empty. "He didn't make you."

Emmett was surprised by that. He had thought she was worried about herself. _She's not self-obsessed, Emmett_ , he chastised himself, _and she loves you. Of course she's worried about you_. "You never fail to amaze me, Elle." He took her hand. "He said some really horrible things about you and you are worried about me!"

"The things he said about you were bad too." She replied. "Besides I've heard worse from better people."

"Have you?" He asked softly, wondering how someone could say something that mean to someone as nice as Elle.

"Absolutely. When I showed up to Viv's party last October?"

"The bunny suit? How could I forget that?"

"She called me a skank." Elle told him

"How- Are- What- Why-" Emmett sighed. Both Viv and Elle were different people then. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright. That's one of the many reasons why I'm so positive. There are enough negative people in the world. Are you sure you're okay?"

"I am so much better than okay." He smiled.

"Then I have a gift for you." She squeaked, reaching into her oversized bag and pulling out a box. Emmett still wasn't used to getting gifts like the ones Elle gave, but he liked them and he was getting used to their frequency.

He opened the box to reveal a pink tie with silver pin stripes embroidered on it.

"You don't have any pink in your wardrobe, Mr. Chip–On-My-Shoulder and I saw you looking at them when we got your suit."

"I love it, Little Miss Woods Comma Elle." He took off his blue tie and put on the new one.

"It's perfect!" Elle declared.

"Just like the woman who gave it to me." He kissed her.

He had lost track of the number of kisses they had shared. But every single one was special to him. Just like every second with Elle.

When news broke at Harvard about Callahan, he was forced to resign. Conveniently enough, only a few weeks after that resignation, he announced he was running for governor.

Now _that_ was going to be interesting.


	16. Chapter 16

**Touchy**

Elle was touchy when it came to why she came to Harvard. Freshman would always ask her about it, coming up to her even when she and Emmett WEREN'T at Harvard. Today was no exception. She came back from classes to see Emmett on the couch reading an updated and revised law book. She collapsed next to him, snuggling into his shoulder.

"Bad day?" He asked carefully. He felt her nod. "I got you some magazines." He pointed to the coffee table. Elle reached forwards and grabbed one. He felt the pages being flipped, then she tensed, yelled loudly and threw the magazine across the room before storming into their bedroom and slamming the door. Emmett looked, more than a little confused, at the door before he went to pick up the offending magazine. He flipped through the pages until he found what made her so upset. It made him upset too: Warner, modeling underwear. He put the magazine back on the table and followed Elle to the bedroom.

"Elle?" He knocked lightly and opened the door, sticking his head in. "What's up, doc?" he asked softly.

"I'm just being blonde." She sighed.

"No you're not." He sat down on the bed. "Did people ask you about why you came to Harvard today?" It was the still before fall break, so the freshmen still hadn't learned to stay out of that territory from the upper classmen yet. All Elle did was nod.

Emmet knew he was about to put his foot in his mouth, but something had been bothering him for a while. "How did he break up with you? You don't need to tell me. I don't want to pry. I just want to know. If he hadn't done that then I would have probably never met you. And we never would've had this."

"I thought he was proposing." She whispered, ashamed of her reason. "He asked me to give him my hand. He said it was time to get serious and make dreams come true. He got champagne, took me out to a fancy dinner, and then he just said 'I think you and I should break up'. I didn't realize what he had said. When it hit I started bawling." She shook her head. "I still remember the next part perfectly. 'If I'm going to be a senator by the time I'm 30, I'm going to need someone _serious_! Less of a Marilyn more of a Jackie. _Serious_! Somebody classy and not too tacky! And so I came out to Harvard to prove that I _was_ a Jackie, that I was serious. You know, when he saw me in that bunny suit, he said the greatest regret of his life was not asking me to wear it. He only ever saw the body, never the brains. He never even saw the potential." A tear fell down her cheek.

 _Haven't you proved that?_ Emmett thought to himself, pulling her into a hug. _No one doubts her anymore. So why does she feel this way?_

"I just… I just feel like such a blonde idiot." Elle sighed.

"Vivian and Enid told me about that. My first thought was that you were both wrapped up in pink paper with a gold bow on top." He kissed the side of her head. "You are stunning and brilliant and every night I thank whatever lucky star is out there that Warner was so stupid that he thought it would be a good idea to dump you. And I understand that you don't like the reason that you came out to Harvard. You were always the Jackie. He was always the Marilyn. And I promise to do my best in the future to make this better for you.

"I know." She sighed as he brushed away her tears and put the weight of her head into his hand. "I love you Emmett.

"I love you too, Elle." He smiled.

That night at dinner Emmett flicked a bread crumb at her from across the table. He had been think about something Elle had something she had said earlier

"Hey Elle?"

"Hey Emmet. What's got you looking my favorite shade of pink?" She teased. He just turned redder.

"Will you…" He cleared his throat. "That is," he took a breath, "will you wear that bunny suit for me sometime? Just for me?"

Elle winked. "Just you wait, Emmett. Just you wait."


	17. Chapter 17

**So… there will be a chapter that I'll be posting real soon that'll be rated M. It's more or less the first time Elle and Emmet 'bump uglies'. (It's the next time Elle wears the bunny suit ;)). So this happens after that.**

 **Body Parts**

Emmett lay in bed, watching Elle sleep, thinking about all the things he loved about her.

He loves her legs. They are long and toned and perfect. The way they wrapped around him when they slept always made him happy. He loves that feeling, waking up from whatever had happened the previous day happy. It made him feel like they were one person for a little while every day.

He loves the center of her body. He never wanted to specify one part of this area, afraid that she would start seeing him as another Warner or Callahan. Hips to shoulder, everything about her totally perfect. Her muscular stomach and slim waist and her perfectly soft skin. No matter how she wrapped herself around him, they fit together. He could hold her close to him. And he loved that.

He loves her neck. Its slender and sensitive and he loves the reactions that came out of her when he kissed it or snuggling against it. The giggle that always escaped when he brushed against it.

He loves her head. He couldn't even describe how much he loves her head. Her brain, sharp and brilliant with a peculiar knack for law that even _he_ didn't understand. It never ceased to amaze him, the ways she found to win the professors mock cases. His friends let her work there in the summer as an intern always made fun of them when they saw the two of them together. But they loved it, for some reason. He loves the blonde hair that was always in his face when he woke up in the morning. Somehow it was always perfect though. And always beautiful.

Emmett loves Little Miss Woods Comma Elle. And he loves _all_ of her.

She stirred, waking up from her slumber. "'Morning." She grumped.

"What's up, doc?" He kissed her lightly.

"Mmm." She moaned. "Early."

"I'm gonna go shower." He untangled their limbs.

"But Emmett!" She whined, obviously wanting him to come back to bed.

"You can join me if you want to." He offered.

"Can you wait 5 minutes?" She begged.

Emmett laughed and got back into bed. He never would be able to say no to her, would he?

* * *

Elle lay there with her eyes closed, relishing the warm body next to her. His thumbs always moved when they were in contact with her skin. She loved it.

She loves a lot of things about Emmett's body.

She loves his hands. They were large and soft and gentle. They always know what to do. After a bad day of classes, they would rub her back and massage her shoulders just how she liked. After a night out together they would be egger for her tutelage. And if Elle was a fast learner, then Emmett was lightning.

She loves his legs. They were long and muscular and loved to have her legs wrapped around them. They matched her walk no matter how high her heels were or how tired she was. She loves how they would tangle with hers and make her feel safe.

Elle loves his arms. The way they wrapped around her. They were surprisingly strong and had very little hair. She remembered Warner having really hairy arms, but Emmett didn't. He just shaved his face and neck, occasionally trimming other areas of his body just to keep things neat.

Elle loves his chest. It was firm and warm and the best pillow ever. Even Bruiser liked it. And whenever she put her head on it, he would play with her hair, petting it and playing with the ends.

But mostly she loves his head. She loves his scruffy hair, before and after she would gel his hair for him in the morning. And she loves his handsome face that blushed when she tells him how attractive she finds him. And she loves his wonderfully smart brain. His head also contained his face, which kissed her, and comforted her, and told her he loved her.

Elle Woods loves Emmett Forest. And she loves all of him.

She pulled him back into bed and snuggled into his body. She was never a snuggler before Emmett. She had just never really wanted to. But Emmett brought it out of her. So 5 turned into 10 and 10 turned into 15 and 15 turned into brunch and finally brunch turned into the aforementioned shower.


	18. Chapter 18

**Proposal**

He had listened to Elle practice her speech all semester. He could have probably given her speech for her at this point. Tonight, Emmett planned on making her a nice dinner, ask her to marry him, and hope none of her professors or classmates made her want to leave for California. The little hardwood box with pink satin lining in his pocket felt heavier than it should. It was a simple, just one diamond surrounded by small light blue and pink stones set between a two band braid of light pink gold and silver. But when he saw it, he thought _Elle: classic and beautiful yet secretly complex_.

She finished her speech and everyone applauded. It was just so Elle to make her special moment about others as well. And then she held up her hands for everyone to stop their applause. She stepped down off the stage and reached for his hand dragging him to his feet. And then _she_ proposed to _him_. All he could manage to get out was "Ohmigod." She slipped a silver band onto his finger and stood as well. He realized that she still hadn't pullet her tassel over yet. And so, he moved it lovingly moved to the other side of her dace. All of the struggles in his life led him to finally finding his prize: Elle Woods was his.

 _I mean, technically I'm hers_ he thought happily, but it didn't matter. As of tonight, they would be each other's. The graduation ceremony was over now, and Emmett hadn't let go of Elle's hand, the metal band feeling so right on his finger. They had congratulations from professors, classmates, friends, even Elle's parents. They received dinner invite after dinner invite and turned them all down. This night was for them to spend together.

That night, Emmett was putting the finishing touches on the dinner he had made when Elle came out of their bedroom in a pale pink dress that made Emmett almost drop the bowl he was holding on the floor.

"You wore the pink tie today." Elle smiled.

"Of course I did." He smiled back. "You look beautiful." He added.

"Thank you." She blushed. She never blushed when Warner descended down from his cloud to compliment her. And deep down, she knew he never meant them. "You look very handsome."

Emmett rubbed the back of his neck before putting the bowl down and pulled out Elle's chair.

"Thank you." She smiled happily. "What's for dinner?"

Emmett retreated into the kitchen and came out with another bowl held high above his head. "Guess!"

"Some sort of soup?" She guessed blindly.

"Nope…" He said followed by a loud stomach growl. He put the bowl down between the two chairs. "My Nana's homemade macaroni."

Elle squeaked and jumped into his arms. This was her favorite dinner ever. "Thank you, master chef."

"It's nothing for my fiancée." He said happily. "And I something to do before we can eat." He got down on one knee. "Elle, I've watched you overcome so much. And I love you. You're the only one for me." He opened the box. "Will you marry me and make me the happiest man that I know."

All Elle did was nod. He slid the ring on her finger before kissing it?

"Were you planning on proposing tonight?"

"I've been planning on proposing from Halloween." Emmett moved to the chair next to Elle. "I'm sorry it's not very big or very pink."

"It's exactly what I wanted. It's perfect." She reassured him.

"Paulette went with me, to help me pick it out. But I actually found it in an antique shop. I took it in with her to have it cleaned. They told me it was a lucky catch. It made me think that it was meant for you…" He turned cherry red.

"Kyle went with me to find your ring." Elle admitted. "They must have known all along what was going to happen."

They starting eating their dinner, just enjoying each other's company.

"What type of wedding do you want?" Elle asked suddenly.

Emmett laughed. "Are you telling me that Elle Woods doesn't have her dream wedding already planned out?"

"I did, at one time. But I knew Warner would want a big fancy wedding where he could network and make the society pages. At the time, I thought that was what I wanted too. But I know you. And you do care. So I was wondering if you had anything you wanted." She explained.

"Just you." He leaned over the table and kissed her cheek. "And to _not_ be in the society pages." He added, laughing.

"Do you want to help me plan it?"

"I would love to."

They clinked forks and continued their dinner, finally falling asleep much too late because they were much too happy.


	19. Chapter 19

**Wedding Nerves**

Emmett paced. He wasn't normally a pacer. But today wasn't a normal day. Today he stood in the room of the farmhouse preparing to make Elle Woods his wife.

"Dude. Chill." Chris sighed. "You're making me sick."

"Chill!" Emmett panicked. "What if she realizes that she is so much better than I am? What if she realizes she wants Warner Huntington III back?"

"Emmett." John grabbed him by the arms and forced him into a chair. "That isn't going to happen. Elle loves you. So just chill!"

There was a sharp rap at the door.

"Gaaah!" Emmett jumped up and started pacing again.

"Not the bride!" An elderly voice came from the other side before the door opened up. "Now…" An old woman walked through the door sizing up every man in the room and walking to Emmett. "You must be Emmett Forest. My granddaughter has told me so much about you." She held out a wrinkled hand.

"He-hello." He cautiously shook her hand. "You must be her grandmother, Margret Woods."

"I don't break easy, young man. If that's your normal handshake, then my Ellie's taste in men is sadly weak. And that's Maggie or Grandma to you."

Emmett turned white. He knew that Elle's grandmother meant so much to her. If she didn't like him then… He was pulled out of his thoughts by the sound of ice.

"I've handled quite a few grooms in my time, young men." She handed him a glass looking back to him. "None of them have been _this_ in love. Sweetie, sit down." She motioned with her cane to one of the chairs. Emmett did as he was told. "Drink the scotch." She tapped the class with a long finger. He did what he was told. "My Ellie, loves you Emmett Forest. Now MAN UP!"

He jumped at the harshness. "But what if-"

"You'll think yourself to death with _what if's_ , young man. My Elle is upstairs right now wearing a hole in the carpet of the same ones."

"What?" That never occurred to Emmett. He wondered why.

"She's up there, pacing in her beautiful dress, wearing a hole in the carpet thinking that she'll walk down the aisle only to have you realize that, and I quote her mind you, 'she's not good enough'. You'll be disappointed in your choice. That that sleazy ex-boy candy of hers will stand up and object and you'll just walk away."

"WHAT?" That was absurd. "I would never."

"Now, if you don't tell me what's bothering you, I'm sure your friends Chris and John- was it?- would love to inform me."

"Ma'am." They both nodded, unsure of what to do with themselves.

"Please, dispense with ma'am. It's Maggie."

"I'm just-"

"Nervous. Bull." She snapped.

"Well… I am. I'm nervous that Elle will walk down that aisle and Warner will object and she'll run into the sunset with him. I'm nervous that she'll say no. Hell, I'm nervous that she won't even walk down the aisle in the first place. She deserves the very absolute best. And I'm just nervous that I'm not that."

"My boy. That's called _fear_. And that's exactly what she's feeling right now. And add on top of that every Tom, Dick, and Harry trying to get her to tell them what to do and she's going insane. She's had three panic attacks and consumed two bags of Milky Ways. Now my Ellie can handle stress. But fear that the man she loves with her whole body and soul not being at the end of the aisle; that she cannot handle. No one can handle that." She stood and took the glass out of her hand. "She's all alone upstairs right now. And an old woman like me, well it could take me 10-15 minutes to get back up those stairs." She leaned down and looked him in the eyes. "What are you going to do about it?"

Emmett jumped up off his seat and ran upstairs, knocking on the room Elle was in.

"Granny?" She asked through the door.

"Elle? It's me. What's up, doc?" He said through the door.

"EMMETT?" She squeaked. "I can't let you in. It's bad luck!"

"You don't have to see me. You don't have to open the door. I just wanted you to know something."

"What?" She whispered fearfully.

"I love you. And I want you to know that-" He was interrupted by a server for the dinner coming up the stairs. "The soon to be Mrs. Forest is busy. Come back later or ask your boss." He snapped at the man. "Elle, I just want you to know that I can't wait to see you in your dress walking towards the aisle. And I am not going to let you get away."

"Emmett, I…" She trailed off. "Close your eyes."

"Wha?"

"Close your eyes." She commanded.

He followed the order. "They're closed." He informed the black space he knew was the door.

Before he knew it, her lips were on his and he wrapped his arms around her. "I love you too, Emmett Forest."

And as soon as she was there, she was gone and the door was closed.

"I was so nervous, downstairs." He informed her, opening his eyes slowly. "Thinking that you wouldn't even come down, or that Warner would come in and steal you away from me."

"I was nervous too, Emmett."

"I know. I've met your grandmother." He laughed. "I can see the relation."

"You like her?"

"She's fantastic."

"Good. She likes you."

"She just met me." He informed her.

"But I've told her all about you. I think she just wanted to see you in person before the wedding."

"Ah." He looked at the door for a small eternity. "Are you okay?"

"I'm so much better than great. You?"

"Same. Your grandma is very wise."

"Yeah…" Elle sighed happily.

"I love you, Elle."

"I love you too, Emmett."

"I'll see you at the alter." He smiled at the idea of the two of them at the end of an aisle getting married.

"I'll see you there."

Emmett walked back down the stairs, greeted by the friendly face of Maggie Woods.

"Good boy." She smiled and started up the stairs. "My Ellie made the right choice in you."

The wedding went off without a hitch. No objections, no tripping, both the bride and groom appearing with large smiles on their face.

And everyone at the wedding could tell that Elle Woods and Emmett Forest were the top nominees for the perfect couple.

* * *

 **I love sassy old ladies.**


	20. Chapter 20

**Working With You**

Elle straightened her skirt as she marched into the firm. It was her first day of being an _official_ lawyer for Fitzroy, Carter, and Forest. She opened the door and went up to the secretary.

"Ms. Woods! Welcome to your first day of work!" The petite redhead smiled.

"Thank you, Susan. Please, call me Elle." She smiled. "Is the boss ready for me?"

"I think you're the better judge of that." Susan teased. "Don't worry," she blinked, "I won't tell."

"His friends know. But I appreciate that. He isn't in a meeting is he?"

"They are all waiting for you in his office."

"Thanks!" Elle smiled as she went into the large office at the corner of the hall. She passed three paralegals and four lawyers (giving her the stink eye). She had jumped to associate right away. She knocked on the door.

"Enter!" She heard through the door.

Opening the door she smiled at the three she had been a paralegal for since the beginning. "Mr. Fitzroy, Mr. Carter, Mr. Forrest. Thank you so much."

"Well after three years of interning and another two consulting, we only thought it fair. And, Elle you can call us John, Chris and Emmett. You earned that. We were the best men at your wedding." John laughed. Tall and muscular, he embraced her in a hug. John already felt like an older brother to her. Chris, on the other hand, was shorter than Emmett and even skinner. He too was like a brother, but less of an older brother, and more of a less Californian twin of hers. And then there was Emmett. Leaning against his desk, hands in his pockets and holding his jacket open exposing a pink tie. His hair slicked back (per her expertise this morning) and smiling at her in a way that made her legs turn to jelly.

"Hello, Elle." He smiled. "What's up, doc?"

"Hello, Emmett." She smiled back.

Chris made a gagging noise. "Get a room!" John whined. "Oh, wait, you already did."

And thus the playful banter among the associates began. None of the other lawyers there understood, and as Elle Woods was the only female associate rumors started to circulate about the pretty blonde. She had worked there for about a month when she finally overheard one first hand. She was behind her door when she heard two of the lawyers whispering about her.

"Can you believe her?" One sneered.

"I wonder how many of them she's slept with."

"Probably all. The only way she could have made associate without working here."

"Have you heard her story?" The second laughed. "Valedictorian at Harvard? HA! Are you sure she's slept with Mr. Forest? I walked into his office wearing nothing but my bra and panties and he turned me down. I doubt that bimbo could do anything to alter that."

"WHAT!" The first giggled. "You didn't know he was married?"

"Well I do now." The second sighed. "I wish he wasn't."

Elle heard the two walk away and started crying. She missed an associates meeting at lunch because she was hiding under her desk.

"Elle?" Emmett walked into her office, not finding anything. "You missed the meeting at lunch. I was wondering if you're okay." Elle held her breath. She didn't want him to see this, he had seen enough of her tears. Then she heard Emmett sigh. "Oh, Elle. Where are you?" He left the room.

She slept at the office that night, sending Emmett a quick message that she needed a new set of clothes brought to the office tomorrow. She ignored his many calls after that.

Only Susan knew what had happened that day, so she looked up the Forest-Woods home address and went there, knocking lightly on the brownstone door. It opened in a matter of seconds to a much panicked Mr. Forest.

"Susan." He sounded disappointed.

"Hello, Mr. Forest. This is not a booty call. I understand that that has happened to you before. And now Elle, that is Ms. Woods, or Mrs. Forest… she knows."

"What?" He growled.

"Susan?" Mr. Carter called.

"Hello, Mr. Carter."

"The three of us were waiting to see where Elle was." Emmett explained.

"For the past month she has had to endure all the employees besides myself, call her all manner of fowl names and hear horrible lies about her. She has been hiding under her desk almost all day. I brought her lunch, dinner, I left her some of my clean athletic clothes from this morning for her to sleep in. I just wanted you to know that I admire your wife very much and I thought I should let you know where she was." Susan finished.

"Chis. John. Call an emergency staff meeting for tomorrow morning at 10." Emmett commanded. "Don't go through my drawers. I'm going to help Elle." He grabbed the duffle bag from the floor by the door with Elle's clothes in it and went back to work.

They had a long talk that night at the office. The two moved to Emmett's office and curled up his sofa, somehow making it to sleep. Emmet was awoken by a knock on his door at 8 AM.

"Hello Forests?" John called in. Emmet undid himself from Elle's arms and slid off the sofa. She didn't wake up.

"What's up?"

"The staff wasn't happy, being called in on a Saturday, but between Chris and myself we managed to make sure all of them were coming in."

"I don't care if they're happy. Do you know the things they have been calling her? They've collectively called her every derogatory name in the book and then some. They've also decided that you and Chris have both slept with her so that she could get the job. They think she's lying about her degree and who knows what else. I won't tolerate this. Even if Elle wasn't my wife. No one will be harassed like this at this office."

"I agree. I'll leave you to wake Elle up." John patted him on the shoulder.

Emmett, John and Chris stood in front of their entire staff with Elle and Susan behind them.

"It has come to our attention that all of you are being complete asses to our new associate, Ms. Woods." Chris began. "What do you have to say for yourselves?"

"It's not true." One of the female employees retorted. She had obviously been out drinking the night before and everyone could tell she was fighting the hangover.

"That's a lie. You're fired." John handed her a pink slip.

"WHAT!" She shrieked turning white.

"Besides the fact you just lied to your employer-"

"John, that's her." Elle said softly.

"What?"

"I recognize the voice. And Emmett told me last night. She's the one who walked into his office almost naked." Elle whispered.

"Right." John turned back to the woman. "Besides lying to your employer, consistently showing up Mondays hungover, you also propositioned one of the associates and severely insulted another. Good bye." She huffed and stormed out cursing the place. "Now, let's try this again. What do you have to say for yourselves?"

The room was silent.

"So it was your baby." The other gossiper deduced.

"What?" All the associates besides Elle gapped at her.

"That's the only way a blonde bimbo like her could get the associates position here."

"Emmett, maybe it would be easier if I quit and started my own firm."

"Better yet," one of the male employees called, "just go back home and spend daddy's money."

"Enough!" Emmet screamed, fuming at these people. "If I have to fire every last one of you and start from scratch I will. Ms. Woods is my _wife_ she has been for several years. She proposed to me. She was valedictorian, you can go into her office and see the letter. We started dating before this firm was even an idea. Now all of you get out of my sight. Monday, the four of us will let you know if you still have jobs." Everyone stood gaping at him. "I SAID GO!" He snapped angrily.

On Monday, they employees were called in one by one, and asked why they should be allowed to stay. Three fourths sat down and quit before they were even asked. The rest were given one more chance. Fitzroy, Carter, Forest, and Forest remained that small until demand for their firm required more help. At that point, they decided that it would be best to hire who they trusted.

And so Enid, Vivian, and a few choice Harvard alums came to work for them. And Elle and Emmett never spent another night at the office crying on the sofa again.


End file.
